And my crafty heart...

Here is a link to some of the wonderful fabrics and other things I love. I will add more when I feel like it. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35783234@N06/

My adulterous heart!

I realized recently that my husband wasn't the only man that I loved. I am in love with two boys! Mark and Jack of course! I just can't believe how much I have grown to love Jack and how much he has grown to love me. I know people might say this a lot, but he really is the best baby we could have ever asked for!He hardly ever cries, sleeps through the night in his crib, for the most part and is always so smiley! He is happy and nice to strangers and loves to play. He is so big too! Not fat, just TALL! Last time we went to the doctor (at 2 1/2 months) he was 25" now, at 3 1/2 months he is 27"!!! He is really smart too! I don't really know what it is, he just seems so competent. He loves his daddy a lot too! Here is a picture of my baby today in my new favorite outfit for him (even though they are pj's!). Sorry he looks like he got into a fight with barbed-wire, he just CANNOT stop scratching himself and always manages to no matter how short I cut his nails!

Well I am also wanting to post some pictures of crafty things and fabric I LOVE, but there are so many pictures I will probably just put them in an album somewhere and link to it. That way, people who don't care don't have to look at it. But now I need to feed Jack and he probably needs kissed to near death too!

The Fabric Shopper: Five Weeks of Amy Butler - Bag Pattern & Fabric Giveaway!

The Fabric Shopper: Five Weeks of Amy Butler - Bag Pattern & Fabric Giveaway!

If you are an Amy Butler fan, here is a wonderful giveaway going on for 5 weeks! Get your entry in now!

Of books and Babylon

I actually have no idea why this blog is called what it is, the title just popped into my mind. One of my favorite authors is releasing a new book in one of my favorite series soon and a certain blogger is giving away a ARC. If you comment on his blog you are entered to win it and if you post a link to his blog you get an extra entry. So here is the link:  http://www.rowijo.void-star.net/?p=335#comment-576  And if there are any Wicked Lovely fans, check it out.

Today Jack and I met my mom, Tanner, Jayce and Ashley to see a play at Ike that Matthew Kincannon is in. The play is called HONK and it is the story of the ugly duckling. Matthew was brilliant. We met Kevin, Naomi, Issac Jensen, Kris Beaman, Rick and Linda Kincannon and Cherri Picatti there. It was an okay play. Although, we went and saw West Valley's production of OKLAHOMA which Ashley is in on Thursday and it was quite a bit better. 

Jaycilyn is staying the night at our house tonight. She came home with me after the play and watched Jack while I got some cleaning done. I am so thankful that she is so good with Jack and that she likes to take care of him. She even knows how to change his diapers now! She is a great little sister. 

Also today, Jack and I went to Toys R Us to get him some new diapers. I am trying to make more healthful decisions not only for myself and my family but for our planet. So I am trying to eliminate most of the paper products we throw away everyday, by making some reusable ones. This includes: paper towels, napkins, coffee/espresso cups, nursing pads, "feminine products" and anything else I can find a better alternative to. My mom thinks this is kind of gross, but I always feel gross throwing so much (especially paper) away. We are also trying to go as natural as possible with other things too. Such as; food, hygiene products (still buy and use them, just make sure they are organic), cleaners and again, anything else we can find an alternative for. So I bought Jack some "Earth Care" diapers which are free of chlorine, latex, dyes and perfumes. There are some biodegradable ones that I was looking into, but I read that those don't hold up to leaks very well and we REALLY need that. Jack's favorite thing to do is leak! 

At any rate, I will try to post more often and since I got good responses from that video I will try to post more of those. Especially for you, Nanee, I know how much you like to see Jack. But for now here is a picture.

Procrastination nation....

This post is long overdue, for which I extend my deepest apologies! Therefore, it probably will be long and chock-full of pictures and a video. Well to start here are pictures of a couple of my projects. This first one is a skirt I made that I am totally in love with and would wear everyday if I could!

It is made from a brown and white polka dot cotton with lace edge and an old tshirt I cut up for the waist band. It was pretty quick and simple I just wish it didn't take so much fabric. But it is pretty long and full. This next one is a picture of the placemats and coasters I made. They are all the same just reversible so I turned some over so you could see both sides. That thing in the corner is a coffee sleeve. It is lined with fabric my mom bought at Fabricland when she worked there at 16! Disney, the pinkish fabric is the one I was telling you about that is my favorite!


And this is the black, yellow and red version of it. I bought all Jo-ann's had. But I don't know what to do with it yet!

This is a picture of my new craft area. It is still a work in progress, but I really like it. I have a lot more table area. Although, about a third of my fabric is there on the table!

Today I went to Walmart while Mark watched Jack. When I came home this is how I found Jack. I thought it was so cute! (Although, now he is being... not so cute!)

You'll notice in the previous picture my new glorious headboard. Yes, this is in fact the famous $3.99 headboard in all her beauty. I found this headboard at Goodwill and Disney bought it for her guest room. But then Mark re-did our room for Valentines Day and asked Disney if we could have it for our room. She graciously obliged! I am so thrilled! It is so beautiful. Now we just need to finish our canopy and get new bedding. (Eeep!) Here is a slightly better picture of the headboard. I couldn't get a great one since Jack was asleep.

Lately, I've been trying to wear Jack in the Moby more. He seems to like it, it is just a pain to get on. And I seem to have to take it off so frequently. Here is a picture of Jack in the Moby.

He is a big boy now so he can sit forward-facing. And he can also kick his socks off!

Jack's new favorite thing to do is eat faces. (I think it is a teething thing) He has done this to both grandmas and now me too. I caught him doing it (although not as viciously) on video today.

    

How sweet! =] Well now that everyone is updated, I should try to get some housework and then some sewing done. 

So she sews!

I haven't written anything lately because we have been busy in Spokane! We just got back last night. I didn't take any pictures while we were over there which I am now regretting. But we had a good time visiting with family and everyone was happy to see Jack (and Mark and myself too, of course!). My old sewing machine, a Singer Stylist, has been having some problems that I didn't really want to do the work or pay the money to fix, especially since it is so old. Well, while we were in Spokane, Mark headed to Sears to check out their store (once again!) and when he came back he was carrying a big box containing my new sewing machine, a Singer Inspiration! I am so excited about it! It has been working great so far and has some pretty cool features like: an automatic needle threader, 28 stitches, an LED light, fully automatic one-step buttonhole and some other really cool things! I am so excited he did that for me! Here is a picture of my old sewing machine (which I think I will keep around) and my new one:

I can't wait to do more things on it! I have bought A BUNCH of fabric recently and I need to make sure I use it all and don't just let it sit around. The things I have recently made are:

• a bag for me to hold all my stuff in the diaper bag
• a sweater blanket
• a soft cube for Jack
• burp cloths
• a patchwork bag
• a skirt for me
• a skirt for Jayce
• a reversible headband that matches my skirt
• a reversible headband that matches Jayce's skirt
• 2 fabric bracelets

My current projects are a sweater blanket for Disney (which I think you will LOVE) a fat quarter purse and maybe some more skirts! I will post pictures of some of my projects as soon as I get some. But for now I will leave you with two pictures of Mark and Jack. Sorry they aren't the best!

Sleep is for the weak!

I am so happy that I have such a wonderful husband, who loves me more than himself. Last night was wretched! For some reason, Jack (who turned 3 months old yesterday!) would not sleep. Instead, he stayed up most of the night screaming and crying. We moved rooms several times last night and I fed him more than I ever have at night! Nothing seemed to help. I have no idea what was going on. He had been doing really well the past few nights. Sleeping from 9:30 to 5:30. It was great. Then last night I tried to get him back on his schedule: going to bed around 7:30. Then everything broke loose! SO I don't know what I am going to do. But Mark was great. He followed me around from room to room asking if there was anything he could do. I said sleep! Then at 8:00 am he took Jack into the living room and let me get some sleep for an hour or so. Unfortunately, I couldn't get to sleep! Oh well...that doesn't make him any less amazing! 

Mark has also been doing really well at work. He applied for the Men's and Kids lead a while back and didn't get it. Even though he had done that job before and is considered a manager now. But nevertheless, he was really gracious about it. He went back to his job working as hard as ever, if not harder. Mark is a prime example of doing whatever he does, for the Lord. Anyway, last night the person who did get the position, was telling the ASM (assistant store manager) of softlines, how much she appreciated Mark and how hard he works! I'm so glad that other people can see this too. Sometimes it is so hard on him and he really does deserve their appreciation! God has blessed us by letting us get by with only Mark's job. We are so thankful and Mark shows that through all he does at work! I am so proud of him!

We have come so far. It is so funny to think that we have been married for a year and a half (almost) and have a beautiful baby boy! It is also funny to think that 4 years ago Mark didn't think of me romantically at all. And everyone thought my crush would never amount to anything. But I prayed so hard for Mark and look where we are now! Disney and I knew it from the beginning!

 

Upcycling

Upcycle: the practice of taking something that is disposable and transforming it into something of greater use and value.

This is my upcycled sweater blanket. I took 5 of Mark's old sweaters that he was getting rid of and made them into a blanket for myself. It was so easy and is so comfy! And I like it even more because they were Mark's sweaters. I think upcycling is really neat. It often makes really cute things for very cheap and can cut back on waste! 

Here is a picture of Jack today. He is wearing a little romper that his Aunt Disney gave him. It doesn't QUITE fit him right, but it looks cute anyway!

Planes, trains and automobiles (oh and baby legs!)

Yesterday we went and bought Jack a new carseat. He was getting close to outgrowing his infant carseat since it only held infants up to 28" and Jack is already almost 26". It is the Evenflo Symphony. It is convertible so it holds from 5-100 pounds and is rear-facing up to 35 pounds which was really important to me. It also has 5 reclining positions. I really like it. It set us back more money than I would have liked, but I like to think that for Jack, it is worth it! He hasn't actually ridden in it in the car yet, but I hope he likes it as much as he has enjoyed his infant carseat! Although, now I will have to pick him up and carry him any place we go instead of carrying the carseat(and he can't quite sit up in a shopping cart yet) but I will try to be optimistic and look at the good side. For instance, more bonding time, more "strength training" (Hey 12 lbs gets heavy after a while!) and he will have a great view to look at everything!Here is a picture of him in the new carseat.

If you notice in the picture he is wearing a pair of Crawler Covers (which are just like Baby Legs) that I got off Etsy. He now has 8 pair! I just love them. They make diaper changes easy and I also get to show off his cute legs! Here are some more pictures of him in his Crawler Covers.